House number and high rise numbering system

[Cecil Lee]

Sometime around 1976, the government standardised the numbering of homes.

Around the British times, a ground floor unit for eg. Is numbered say No. 20. 

A unit above this is numbered 20A, the 3rd storey is numbered 20B.

But the folly of this is if it is a high rise exceeding 20Z, what happens?  

Before 1976 (thereabouts): a flat address could be

Block B, unit 508.

But after 1976 onwards this flat is known as Blk B, #06-08.

The government added an additional storey: the ground floor unit or for HDB flats with a void deck is added to the count.

This is why 508 changed: where the 5 = 06 and 08 remains as the stack number.

Photos of homes numbered under the colonial days. These homes are at Katong, Chapel Road. 

[Cecil Lee]

Some of these homes are frozen in the era of the 1940s, 1950s to 1960s...